The Ministry of Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change announced that Turkey managed to reach a rate of 4.2% in the reuse of treated wastewater before the end of the year when it aimed to achieve a 4% goal.

Turkey plans to increase this rate to 5% next year and to 15% by 2030.

Reusing treated wastewater is a primary goal for water-stressed Turkey. As water consumption increases with the swelling population and climate change aggravates droughts, saving water is a main concern for the country, which also seeks to curb excessive irrigation practices in agriculture.

The ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that Turkey would likely be among countries facing water shortages in the near future due to a number of issues, from drought induced by climate change to excessive water use amid growing industrial and agricultural activities that reduce water resources and reduction of water in underground resources. It said reuse of wastewater gained importance and its fields of use were diverse, from agricultural irrigation, industrial use, feeding underground water resources, recreational use and household use. Some 283 million cubic meters of wastewater is reused annually.

Turkey prioritized the issue as part of its circular economy principles, which involve the reduction of water use and preservation of resources. The ministry said that under the European Green Deal, they were working to decrease the industrial use of water and spread the practice of reuse of treated wastewater.

"Incentives are provided for consumption of energy used in treatment processes, both for compliance with international policies and to prevent possible water shortages in the long and short run," the statement said. The ministry highlighted that energy use incentives, or the state’s payment for energy costs, reached 100% for wastewater treatment plants, based on reused water volume, while the minimum incentive was 50%.